The BJP on Friday asked Congress president Sonia Gandhi “not to preach on ‘raj dharma’” to the current government as the Congress’s own record on this was “full of twists and turns”. It also alleged that the communal violence in north-east Delhi was an outcome of “instigation” by the Opposition.
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad’s observations came at a presser at the BJP’s headquarters in New Delhi a day after the Congress, led by Ms Gandhi, met President Ram Nath Kovind and submitted a memorandum demanding the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah for ‘dereliction of duty’ in protecting people of all faiths and failure to adhering to “raj dharma”.
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Asked about controversial remarks made by the BJP leaders like Kapil Mishra and Parvesh Verma, Mr. Prasad said the party did not approve such statements. “Sonia Gandhi, please don't preach us 'raj dharma'; your record is full of twists and turns”. The National Population of Register (NPR) was started by the Congress-led regime, he observed.
“If Congress does something, it is good. But if we do the same thing, they provoke people. What type of raj dharma is this”, he asked.
‘Fight to finish’ remarks
Referring to the Congress chief's remarks of “fight to finish” at a rally in Ramlila Maidan last year, Mr Prasad asked whether such remarks did not constitute provocation. He alleged that the Congress could stoop to any level for “vote bank” politics. It should act responsibly for maintaining peace and harmony, he added.
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Mr. Prasad accused the Congress of changing its stand on granting citizenship to persecuted minorities in the neighbouring countries. Such demands for citizenship were regularly made by not just former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi but also by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
On the transfer of Delhi High Court judge Justice S Muralidhar, Mr. Prasad said the Modi government had great commitment to judicial, media and individual freedom and it was one of its “fundamentals”.
The Minister reiterated that Justice Muralidhar's transfer had nothing to do with any case, as a recommendation to this effect was already made by the Supreme Court collegium and the judge had also given his consent.
“It [transfer] was part of the process. By the same process, dozens of judges have been transferred”. It was the Congress’s record that had been patchy over the issue as witnessed by its actions with regard to the judiciary during the Emergency.
Mr Prasad said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and many other senior functionaries of this government, including himself, had fought against the Emergency for individual, judicial and media freedom. “Our commitment to these freedoms, have been a fundamental [to the government],” he said.
